Seoul, South Korea – UL Solutions (NYSE: ULS), a global leader in applied safety science, has awarded the Grand Hyatt Seoul the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for Indoor Environment: Air and Hygiene — the first hotel in Asia to achieve this distinction.
The five-star hotel in Seoul’s Namsan Mountain district underwent rigorous assessments, including air handling unit evaluations, janitorial effectiveness checks and air quality testing. UL Solutions experts thoroughly reviewed these assessment results to verify the quality of the indoor environment. These claims align with guidelines of industry-recognized third-party organizations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The hotel will undergo mid-year checkups and annual comprehensive assessments to maintain its verified status.
“More than ever, hotels are seeking ways to convey confidence and reassurance to their guests and staff in order to build trust, whether they are staying, dining, meeting or working at a hotel,” said Sean McCrady, vice president and general manager of the Enterprise Sustainability group at UL Solutions. “By earning the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark, the Grand Hyatt Seoul is demonstrating how the hotel prioritizes the health and well-being of building occupants. We are proud to apply our science-based work to support this achievement.”
UL Solutions developed the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark to meet the growing demand for healthier indoor spaces. For hotels to earn this UL Verification Mark, UL Solutions assesses them against rigorous indoor air quality (IAQ) and hygiene methodologies. By addressing the unique challenges of indoor hotel environments, the verification program promotes continual IAQ improvement through policies and plans. It also provides visibility into potential challenges, allowing early mitigation through practical solutions. This commitment to optimizing indoor environmental quality helps convey confidence and reassurance to the public when staying or dining at the hotel.
The verification from UL Solutions is a key part of the Grand Hyatt’s safety assessment and preparation strategy as it embraces an increase in occupancy due to a rise in travel and in-person meetings. The hotel has worked behind the scenes to achieve the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark while implementing additional practices designed to enhance the well-being of guests and staff. These include sanitizer stations prominently placed throughout the hotel, heightened frequency of cleaning of public spaces and guestroom surfaces, accredited cleanliness training, and an on-staff hygiene and well-being leader to help ensure heightened protocols are met.
“The Grand Hyatt Seoul has consistently prioritized the health and safety of our guests, employees, and community,” stated Peter Hildebrand, the Grand Hyatt Seoul general manager. “UL Solutions is a strong partner in these efforts. They provided us with meaningful insights based on scientific data and deep building health and safety expertise. As a trusted destination for discerning travelers, our hotel achieving the UL Verified Healthy Building Mark underscores our commitment to excellence while investing in programs that enhance the well-being of our valued guests and talented staff.”
Photo caption: At a presentation ceremony held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul, Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO of UL Solutions, presents Peter Hildebrand, general manager of the Grand Hyatt Seoul, with a UL Verified Healthy Building Mark for Indoor Environment plaque to commemorate the hotel’s achievement. Pictured left to right: Alex Park, president, Seoul Miramar Corporation, Chloe Hong, director of strategic planning, Seoul Miramar Corporation, Peter Hildebrand, general manager, Grand Hyatt Seoul, Jennifer Scanlon, president and CEO, UL Solutions, Weifang Zhou, executive vice president and president of Testing, Inspection and Certification, UL Solutions and Yun Chung, regional senior director, Korea, UL Solutions.
